Story of Sūta

General information

A hermit who recounted the Purāṇas to other hermits at Naimiṣa forest. He was a disciple of Vyāsa. Vyāsa composed the Purāṇas and taught them to his son, hermit Śuka who was a man of abstinence and who was not born of womb. At this time Vyāsa had another disciple named Sūta. It is stated in Devī Bhāgavata, Skandha 9, that this Sūta who was a fellowdisciple of Śuka, who had learned all the Purāṇas directly from the teacher Vyāsa, and who was capable saying stories so convincingly, was the son of the hermit Lomaharṣa.

In Naimiṣāraṇya.

Sūta who had learned the Purāṇas directly form Vyāsa, happened to reach Naimiṣāraṇya once. (See under Naimiṣāraṇya). Naimiṣāraṇya is the abode of hermits in the Kali-age. In days of old, hermits, who were miserable because of the evils of Kaliyuga, which was fast approaching, gathered here at the end of Dvāparayuga. They went to the world of Brahmā to consult about the means and ways of preventing the evils of Kaliyuga. Having heard their complaints Brahmā brought a wheel of the figure of mind and placing it before the hermits told them thus: "You follow this wheel. The place where this wheel falls down will be a place of purity, which will not be affected by the evils of Kaliage. There you can live in peace, without being affected by the evils of Kali-age till the coming of the Satyayuga." Saying these words Brahmā set the wheel rolling in front of them. The hermits followed it. The wheel rolled on till it reached the earth, fell down and was crumbled to powder in a particular place. That place became famous later under the name Naimiṣāraṇya. Sūta came to this place.

As soon as they saw Sūta, the hermits such as Śaunaka and others who were living there welcomed Sūta with hospitality and told him thus: "Oh! hermit, you are the disciple of Vyāsa. You have learned the eighteen Purāṇas from Vyāsa We are eager to hear them. So please recite to us the Purāṇas, the hearing of which will remit all sins and secure heaven."

According to this request Sūta recited the eighteen Purāṇasto the gathering of the hermits. It is in the form of the teaching of Sūta to Śaunaka and the others, i.e. in the form of a dialogue between Sūta and Śaunaka, that the people got the Purāṇas. (Devī Bhāgavata, Skandha I).

Sūta was beheaded.

In Bhāgavata, Skandha 10, there occurs a story, stating how Balabhadrarāma cut off the head of Sūta as the battle of Kurukṣetra had started when Sūta had been reciting the eighteen Purāṇas in Naimiṣāraṇya and how his head was fixed in its place again and he was brought to life. (For further details see under Balabhadrarāma, Para 6).

Other details.

Sūta was one of the hermits who visited Bhīṣma on his bed of arrows during the battle of Bhārata. (Mahābhārata Śānti Parva, Chapter 47 Verse 12).